Once a month, the Espai Mestral at Port Olímpic will welcome businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, public sector representatives and blue economy experts to foster dialogue and collaboration among key players in the sector
The first session, taking place on 24 April at 5 pm, will explore the most in-demand professional profiles in the blue economy and their training needs
Next Thursday, 24 April, Port Olímpic will host the first meeting of the Port Olímpic Living Lab, a new space for dialogue among professionals in the blue economy sector, organised in collaboration with A Bordo.Pro. Under the title ‘Blue Jobs: The Future of Work in the Blue Economy,’ the session will explore emerging job opportunities in the sector and the key skills that need to be promoted to meet this growing demand.
The session will take place at Espai Mestral from 5 to 7:30 pm and will begin with an introductory talk on blue economy jobs by Anna Majó, Director of Strategic Sectors and Innovation at Barcelona Activa. Afterwards, Celia Murcia, founder and CEO of Blue-jobs, a recruitment platform specialising in marine sciences; Jaume Pla, founder and CEO of Seavices, a startup that streamlines the hiring of nautical services; and Xavi Cuerpo, Head of Studies at the Barcelona Nautical Institute, will take part in a participatory debate open to attendees, offering further insight into job opportunities in the blue economy.
Specifically, this first meeting will draw on open participation and attendees’ shared experiences to explore emerging job opportunities in areas such as marine biotechnology, smart port management, ocean renewable energy and sustainable boating. The discussion will also examine how universities and vocational training centres can meet these new demands and will include an analysis of several success stories.
Upcoming sessions of the Port Olímpic Living Lab
The Port Olímpic Living Lab marks another step forward in Port Olímpic’s commitment to promote and strengthen the blue economy. The initiative aims to build a community of businesses and entrepreneurs capable of generating synergies with one another and with the city’s social, economic and scientific community.
Nine more sessions are scheduled to take place between now and next February. They will be held at Espai Mestral on the last working Thursday of each month. All sessions are free and open to the public, with prior registration required via the Port Olímpic website.
- 29 May – Renaturalising Ports: Sustainability and the Regeneration of Marine and Urban Spaces
- 26 June – Blue Digital Transformation: Technology for Sustainable Management
- 24 July – Regenerative Blue Tourism: New Experiences Connected to the Sea
- 25 September – Experience the Port All Year Round! Events, sport, education and community
- 30 October – Marinas as Living Labs: Spaces for Innovation and Co-Creation
- 27 November – Driving Blue Ideas: Entrepreneurship and Funding for High-Impact Projects
- 18 December – Looking Ahead: Outlining the Port Olímpic Living Lab 2026
- 29 January – Blue Circular Economy: New Production and Consumption Models on the Coast
- 26 February – Blue Capital: Financing for High-Impact Projects
Abordo.Pro, innovation and co-creation with the sea as the setting
Abordo.Pro is an innovation and transformation initiative that uses the sea as both a setting and a driver of change for public and private organisations, professionals and entrepreneurs. With a clear focus on a triple impact (environmental, economic and social), it designs open innovation strategies and co-creation programmes that integrate sustainability, digitalisation and stakeholder collaboration.
Through the #ABordoLab initiative, living labs and open innovation ecosystems are promoted in Catalonia’s ports, where solutions can be tested in real-world environments and collaborative projects with tangible impact can be developed.
To strengthen these learning and transformation processes, A Bordo.Pro applies its own methodology, #BlendedLearningABordo, which combines in-person, virtual and immersive training aboard sailing vessels to foster leadership, creativity and connections between people and places.
